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A 'Layton' game is coming to Switch on November 8th
To date, playing a Layton game in English has meant playing on either a Nintendo handheld or your phone. Soon, though, you'll have the chance to solve puzzles on your TV at home. Level-5 and Nintendo have announced that the Deluxe Edition of Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires' Conspiracy will be available on the Switch in North America and Europe on November 8th. It's much-improved visually over the 3DS version, of course, but the sheer amount of extra gameplay may be the real draw.
Udon handling books for Ace Attorney, Street Fighter, more
Keep an eye on Udon Entertainment if you're looking to expand your gaming-related comic or physical art book collection: the publisher detailed plans for upcoming prints during a panel at Comic-Con San Diego, which involves material from several notable series. Though release dates for this pair were unspecified, art enthusiasts can safely begin anticipating English versions of The Art of Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies and Professor Layton Official Fanbook. Gungnir Official Art Chronicle is on its way as well, which celebrates the universe of PSP RPG Gungnir. Udon is continuing work with hardcover editions of the Street Fighter comic series as well, with the publisher describing volume 2 as "almost complete." Alex Culang and Raynato Castro's Katamari comic has been rolled into Udon's Manga Classics line, with a Volume 1 collection coming in December 2014. Also, anyone that's trying to track down a copy of the Street Fighter: World Warrior Encyclopedia can rest easy: Udon will distribute an oversized "special hardcover edition" next year, which will feature new artwork and updated information related to Ultra Street Fighter 4. [Image: Udon]
Joystiq Weekly: Titanfall, Thief review, Twitch Plays Pokemon and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. This week's news of a new Tony Hawk game isn't exactly what we were hoping for, but it can't stop us from digging out our old cartridges and discs to revisit the series that made us mount real-life skateboards for the first time. Without the killer soundtracks and a focus on pulling off special moves that progressively got more insane with each entry, we might never have spent hours trying to learn how to ollie. Or earning fresh headaches from trying to drop into half pipes. Or building ramps out of scraps from the garage so we could grind our faces off on the pavement. Thankfully, a revitalization of childhood injury memories isn't the only thing the Joystiq Weekly has in store - news of a Titanfall bundle, reviews of Thief and Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare and a sociological exploration of Twitch Plays Pokemon are also available for your immediate consumption! Dive into this week's biggest moments in gaming right after the break. [Image: Robomodo]
Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy hits North America Feb. 28
Nintendo has pegged Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, the sixth entry in Level-5's puzzle series, for a February 28, 2014 launch in the US. The news came from this morning's Nintendo Direct presentation. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy revolves around an extinct people known as the Azran. Layton, along with his trusty apprentice Luke, discover a girl frozen in ice who is the last living member of the once-great Azran civilization. This sets the two on a globe-trotting mission in search of artifacts and the truth behind the Azran peoples' downfall.
Level-5: Layton series sells 15 million, Ni No Kuni 1.4 million
Level-5 sales numbers suggest there's a big pile of cashola sitting beneath that big top hat of Layton's. The Japanese studio shifted 15 million units of the prof's puzzler series alone, along with 1.4 million PS3 and Japan-only DS copies of the glorious Ghibli RPG Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. As Siliconera reports, company CEO Akihiro Hino revealed the figures at a press conference yesterday, and that the company's success is not limited to those franchises. Soccer RPG series Inazuma Eleven scores 6.5 million sales, while the dream-team-developed Guild games on 3DS, including Crimson Shroud, Liberation Maiden, and Attack of the Friday Monsters, are up to 400,000 downloads combined. At the same conference Level-5 announced Layton 7, a new spinoff for the prof's series that's coming to iOS Android, and 3DS. Layton 7 is the series' second game on mobiles, the first being whodunit Layton Brothers: Mystery Room, unearthing a million downloads.
Layton 7 announced by Level-5 for iOS, Android and 3DS
A new spinoff from the Professor Layton series is on the way to handheld platforms, Level-5 announced during its Vision 2013 conference. Layton 7, which is described as a role-playing game, is in development for iOS, Android and 3DS. Layton 7 stars several inhabitants of a small town and – according to screens shared by Famitsu – features a top-down isometric viewpoint. It's the second game in the series to arrive on iOS, as Layton Brothers: Mystery Room launched on the platform in June.
gdgt's best deals for July 31: 46-inch Samsung HDTV, PNY Compact Flash Drive
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Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies unravels in Japan on February 28
Luke, a true gentleman should always be aware that Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies releases in Japan on February 28. The 3DS game is the final entry in the Layton prequel trilogy, and the last to star the hatted pointer as a protagonist.Release dates for other regions aren't yet known, but given the last entry also came to Japan during February, there's a good chance Azran Legacies arrives in North America and Europe around October time. As for whether or not Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney is making its way to Western shores, that remains an unsolved mystery.On the sweeter side of things, Layton fans in Japan can look forward to a new range of chocolate with the prof's face plastered across it. As Siliconera reports, the chocolatiers behind Pocky are releasing two flavors of 'Professor Layton's Puzzle Solution Break Chocolate,' namely chocolate gateau and the wonderful-sounding oolong tea chiffon cake.We'd be (pleasantly) surprised if the chocolate finds its way over here.
PSA: Get a free 3DS eShop game when you buy an XL in Europe
If you live across the pond and have heavily considered bringing a 3DS XL into your life, you might want to do so within the next 10 days. New 3DS XL units registered with the Nintendo Network between now and Tuesday, January 15 can download any one of the following five eShop titles for free: Super Mario 3D Land Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask New Art Academy New Style Boutique Freakyforms Deluxe Your Creations, Alive!Okay, granted, the list kind of peters out there at the end, but a free digital copy of Super Mario 3D Land or Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is still a pretty sweet deal. Once received, download codes must be redeemed by January 31, at which point they'll magically transform into a pumpkin in your inbox.
Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney gameplay trailer is puzzling
This trailer for Level-5's crossover game Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney shows off some of the courtroom drama and puzzle-solving players can look forward to. Well, that's the action most players can only hope for, since the game has yet to be announced for North America.Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney is set to release November 29 in Japan for 3DS.
Nintendo Direct video roundup: Layton, Animal Crossing, HarmoKnight, more
You didn't get up at seven this morning to watch a Japanese Nintendo Direct presentation? Why not? Possibly because you knew we would round up the videos here for you. Let's just go with that, shall we?Reliable Nintendo YouTube capturer Nintendaan has posted clips online, which we have here and after the break, so you can get your first look at Professor Layton and the Legacy of Super Civilization A, Rhythm Hunter HarmoKnight, and more.
New Layton for 3DS revealed, will be Layton's last adventure
Level-5 announced a new Nintendo 3DS Professor Layton game this morning for Japan on Nintendo's Direct video feed. CEO Akihiro Hino introduced the game and teased a bit of in-game footage – spoilers: it looks like Professor Layton! – he also noted that this will be Layton's "last adventure." That doesn't necessarily mean the end of Layton, of course, just that the game's main character is on his way out.The 3DS Layton – which Andriasang called, "Professor Layton Choubunmei to A no Isan" – arrives in 2013, and per usual Layton announcements, no word was given on a US or EU launch just yet.
Professor Layton 3DS to arrive in Europe next year
The Professor Layton titles traditionally take their sweet time heading across the continent from Japan to the EU, and the series' first 3DS entry, called Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle in Japan, is no exception. It arrived in the land of the Rising Sun last February, and hasn't been released in Europe or North America yet. But it looks like one of those releases is planned: The end of a trailer for Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call in Europe teases that players should "get ready for an all-new Layton next year."Presumably, that's the 3DS title (though the name usually changes on the trip over), and that tease means we'll see it out sometime in 2012. We haven't seen quite as much confirmation on a North American release, but since the last title hit Europe this week and North America last month, 2012 is a good bet for us 'mericans as well. After all, it's not like Level-5 doesn't want to release it here, it's just that translation can take time.
Professor Layton and the Last Specter review: Mystery in Misthallery
The Professor Layton series is consistent in the extreme; every game has a variation on the same plot, in a similar environment, acting as a vector for puzzles in the same style as previous games. There's definitely a formula. That formulaic nature almost forces me into reviewer cliches. "If you didn't like Professor Layton before," I might say, "there's nothing here to change your mind." "Fans of the puzzle-adventure genre will be well-served here." Even the previous Professor Layton review opened with a note about how similar these games are. But a true gentleman finds a solution to every puzzle put before him, whether it be a tangle of steel cogs or a review of a game that is almost identical to its predecessor. Luckily, I did feel that Professor Layton and the Last Specter improved on its forebears, in both perceptible and imperceptible ways. I like all the other Laytons, but I like this one just a little better. Try this puzzle and then head past the break to read more!%Gallery-136676%
We don't object to this Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright trailer one bit
Sure, it's all in Japanese. And sure, we're not really sure what's going on as a result, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the latest trailer for Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright on Nintendo 3DS. No plans exist for a US release yet, but Level 5 gives us hope with its recent news about Ni no Kuni. Layton next, please!
Catch up with Professor Layton before the Last Specter arrives
This trailer for the latest Professor Layton game, the Last Specter, gives us a refresher on the story so far -- including characteristically hilarious moments, like a super-serious cutscene transitioning into a puzzle about stacking hamburgers. Here's the confusing bit: since Last Specter is actually a prequel, set at the time of Layton and Luke's first meeting, none of the things being recapped have happened yet in the new game. This would probably be a lot harder to deal with if we actually tried to pay attention to the stories in Layton games.
The Last Story, Pandora's Tower due in Europe in 2012, more Euro releases dated
The Wii does have a lifespan beyond 2011 -- in Europe. Nintendo of Europe sent out a list (PDF) of upcoming titles today, including the two other games for which Operation Rainfall is campaigning: Mistwalker's The Last Story and Ganbarion's Pandora's Tower. Both are slated for 2012 in Europe now, and have yet to be announced in North America. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be released in Europe November 18 while Kirby's Adventure Wii is coming in December. The release list also provides November and December windows for Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 on 3DS, respectively. Super Pokemon Rumble will also be released in Europe this December. On DS, DQ Monsters Joker 2 is coming October 7, Kirby Mass Attack is due October 28, and Professor Layton will answer The Spectre's Call in November. Cave Story will finally come to DSiWare in Europe in Q4. A few standout downloads listed: in Q4, the 3DS Virtual Console will see releases of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Metroid II, and the Game Boy Bionic Commando game. Nintendo previously blocked the NES version from Virtual Console.
Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva coming to a DVD player near you
Viz Media, the anime localization super-giant responsible for bringing both Bleach and Naruto to North America, will continue its cultural conquest of the western continent by releasing Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva in North American markets. The film takes place between the events of Professor Layton and the Last Specter (due out this fall) and Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, and should be available at your local otaku shelter "later this year." The 2009 animated film featuring everyone's favorite top-hat professor had previously undergone westernization for its 2010 release in the UK, however Viz Media's adaptation will be the first version available in the US and Canada for those weary of importing. The film has been such a success in Japan and abroad that Layton developer Level 5 has already commissioned a sequel, however there has been no mention of localization for that adventure so far.
Professor Layton solving social scene in 'Professor Layton Royale'
Professor Layton developer Level-5 is teaming up with social gaming's DeNA on Professor Layton Royale. Andriasang reports the new social game has players selecting from three different classes and is a crossover of Layton and Kaito Royale. The game will initially launch in Japan, with the potential of "localized versions to international users on the highly anticipated global Mobage service." With DeNA's acquisition of ngmoco last year -- and Layton's international appeal -- the company would be leaving money on the table if it didn't take advantage of the global opportunity. Crossovers are something Professor Layton is getting comfortable with, as the puzzle master also has an upcoming collaboration with Capcom's ace attorney in Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright for 3DS.
The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: True Fantasy Live Online
As an extremely amateur historian -- and an extremely attractive archaeologist -- I've always been fascinated with the "what ifs" of gaming's timeline. What if Blizzard had pulled the plug on World of Warcraft during development as it did for Warcraft Adventures? What if Hellgate: London had a lot more time and resources before it launched? What if North America had embraced the free-to-play model much earlier instead of the subscription model? What if Shawn came to his senses before he hired me? Life would've been a lot better. Or worse. That's the problem with counterfactual history: We can make educated guesses, but we'll never really know. While it's sad to see MMOs shut down due to underperformance, it's especially maddening to contemplate MMOs canceled before they even made it to the starting gate. In a new periodic series here at The Game Archaeologist, I'm going to look at a few of the "what ifs" of prematurely terminated MMORPGs. And to kick us off, I'm tackling probably one of the most frustrating, painful subjects that still linger amongst potential fans. I'm talking, of course, of True Fantasy Live Online, the game that could've shown the true potential of console MMOs. Or, y'know, not.
